Historically, the application of hair dye for the purpose of changing or enhancing hair color has been a notably messy and tedious undertaking, even when performed by a professional user. Application of hair dye by a home user can be even messier and more frustrating than application of hair dye in a professional setting. Much of the reason for this messiness and potential frustration has been due to the methods available for applying the dye. Because complete and even coverage of the hair to be colored is necessary, the problem of messiness is compounded. Once the dye is applied, usually to the root of the hair where the hair is parted, it must be distributed along the scalp over the entire part in the hair. This procedure must be repeated until all of the roots have even coverage with the hair dye.
Conventional methods of applying hair dye include squeeze tubes with various sizes of openings, or use of brushes which are similar to small paint brushes. When squeeze tubes are used to apply the hair dye to the scalp and root of the hair, the user (which hereinafter may refer either to a layperson or a professional) must use a gloved hand in order to ensure that the hair dye is distributed evenly down each part of the hair. Since hair dye permanently stains anything it contacts, a user must be extremely careful both until and even after the soiled glove is removed. Once the glove is removed, it must be turned inside-out to avoid soiling surrounding surfaces. If a glove is reused after having been turned inside-out, the possibility of staining the hands is again present, thereby defeating the purpose of using a glove altogether. Since hair coloring involves a number of intermediate steps and may require a time span in excess of an hour, a gloved hand that is soiled with hair dye may prove to be a great inconvenience to the person who is applying the hair dye. The continual need for gloving and re-gloving in order to prevent contact of the skin and surrounding area with the hair dye may prove to be a great nuisance as well. Using a new glove for each step in which there is potential contact with the hair dye would prove to be somewhat costly at best.
If a paintbrush is used to apply the hair dye to the scalp at the root, complete coverage is not always achieved, and usually requires further distribution with a gloved hand in order to ensure complete and even coverage. It is apparent, then, that the problems one may encounter with this method of application are similar to those previously mentioned. Additionally, thick brushes can be difficult to clean well between applications, both in regard to sanitation between customers for professional settings, and in regard to thorough removal of all hair dye which might be embedded deep in the brush.
Both of the aforementioned methods of applying hair dye require the user to use gloved hands in order to distribute the hair dye to the shafts of the hair once the roots of the hair are processed. Again, this creates more potential for spreading hair dye to unwanted areas, hands, or clothing.
What is therefore needed is a device which will allow a user to cleanly apply and evenly distribute hair Dye to the scalp, root of the hair, and shaft of the hair while avoiding any unwanted staining of clothing, hands, or surrounding area which might occur with conventional methods of hair dye application.